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*Everton vanquish Villa*

Everton overcame Aston Villa 3-1 in an enthralling FA Cup tie at Goodison Park to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Jack Rodwell opened the scoring after just four minutes, firing home from close range after Stiliyan Petrov had used his arm to clear Tim Cahill’s header off the line.

Villa equalised four minutes later as Gabriel Agbonlahor was brought down in the box by Tony Hibbert and James Milner converted the penalty.

Everton were awarded a spot-kick of their own following a foul by Steve Sidwell on Victor Anichebe in the 24th minute and Mikel Arteta stepped up to send Brad Friedel the wrong way.

Tim Cahill’s volley 14 minutes from time then secured Everton’s progression to the last eight and ended Villa’s FA Cup hopes for another season.

*Drama*

It was a dramatic start to the tie with two goals in the first eight minutes.

Stand-in Villa captain Petrov looked to have used his hand to block Cahill’s first effort on the line, but Yorkshire referee Martin Atkinson took no action against the Bulgarian.

Villa were soon level when Hibbert brought down Agbonlahor in the box to concede a penalty. Hibbert was booked and Milner drove in the spot-kick, although it was almost stopped by Tim Howard.

Cahill was then booked after 16 minutes for trying to punch a cross into the net, and that means he will be suspended next weekend for the league game at Newcastle.

The drama continued when Everton gained a penalty of their own to reclaim the lead.

Anichebe took a pass from Hibbert and set off on a surging run through the middle, only to brought down by Sidwell, who was booked. This time it was the turn of Arteta to fire in the spot-kick.

Two minutes later Petrov was booked for a foul on Rodwell, before Dan Gosling saw a low drive crash into the side netting.

Agbonlahor should have equalised when he missed with a header six yards out, from Ashley Young’s cross.

Milner was booked for a lunge at Leighton Baines, who probably saved the winger a harsher penalty by being quickly back on his feet.

*Mounting pressure*

But Villa’s pressure was mounting and they would have been level after 61 minutes had it not been for an outstanding save from Howard to his left.

John Carew met a Milner cross and connected well with a neat flick before the USA international finger-tipped the ball away at full stretch.

Brad Friedel saved well from a Cahill header following a Baines cross, the game heating up with several debatable challenges flying in.

Martin O’Neill was upset with two tackles on Young, while after the second one Everton captain Phil Neville made it very clear he felt the Villa man had dived.

Everton were being forced to defend, and Sidwell should have done better with a header from Milner’s cross which sailed wide.

But when Everton broke quickly from defence they grabbed a third after 76 minutes. Anichebe’s ball into the box from the left was missed by Curtis Davies, allowing an unmarked Cahill a 10-yard finish.

Considering Villa’s defensive reputation, it was a sloppy goal to concede, full of basic errors.

Villa sent on Nathan Delfouneso for Sidwell with six minutes left, before Rodwell was booked for a trip, ahead of Joseph Yobo and Segundo Castillo replacing Anichebe and Arteta in the final minutes.